Explore History, Culture & Writing
Explore our extraordinary range of History, Culture and Writing courses and lectures. We offer both introductory and specialist in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, from ‘How to read a film’ and World literature, to Creative non-fiction writing courses and American history and Politics courses.
Our tutors are experts in their fields and experienced educators; many have published, teach in universities or share their expertise in the media. Tutors share their knowledge and passion through presentations, readings, interactive discussion and exercises, analysis, and other activities.
Many students return to take more courses, telling us they enjoy being part of our City Lit Learning community.
Our popular courses often sell out quickly, so we invite you to browse and book your place now.
- Ways into magic realismCourse start date: Sat 28 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate WilkinsonA baby’s spiteful ghost knocks over boiling pans; a ten-year-old boy sees into hearts and minds; a refugee opens a door into another country… In magical realist fiction, real-world events take unexpected turns into the fabulous and fantastical, asking us to think again about what we know.
On this course we’ll read a selection of magical realist writing, including work by Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison and Mohsin Hamid, as an introduction to this fascinating genre.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Writing flash fiction: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 28 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lucy PopescuFlash fiction is the art of telling small stories that make a big impact. Learn how to harness the power of economy in this practical short course. Suitable for those with some experience of creative writing.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Creation myths in the ancient near EastCourse start date: Sat 28 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ann JeffersCome and explore with us the idea of ‘myth’. We will look at creation myths in Ugarit, in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece and in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Philosophical life coachingCourse start date: Sat 28 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim LebonPhilosophical life coaching helps you lead a more satisfying and meaningful life by using insights and methods from the great thinkers. This introductory workshop will show you some of the most interesting ways it can be of help. No previous experience required.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - The art of the dissertationCourse start date: Sat 28 Jan 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anne WilsonAre you approaching your dissertation year at undergraduate level? In this workshop, you will receive expert guidance on how to structure and write your dissertation project to a high academic standard.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Focus on: GiottoCourse start date: Sun 29 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoDiscover the life and work of Giotto, was one of the earliest artists to be written about within his lifetime, his genius held up as the ideal by Italian painting critics for the next five centuries.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Writing haiku poetryCourse start date: Sat 29 Jul 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pearl MayLearn how to write haikus that resonate, move and entertain on this fun day workshop.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Writing protest poetryCourse start date: Sat 4 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Megan BeechIn these times of great political upheaval, protest poetry has never been so important.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Seven wonders of the ancient worldCourse start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: William SterlingThe Seven Wonders fascinate us, but what were they and why were they wonders? Using art, literature and
archaeology we'll explore possible answers.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - The art of writing the personal essayCourse start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Yvonne SinghFollow in the footsteps of Dorothy Parker, George Orwell and Zadie Smith with this taster course on the personal essay, a continuously thriving genre of autobiographical writing.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Writing the prose poem: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Helen CoxA form that’s flowered in recent years, this short course will guide you to write your own prose poetry.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Daemonologie: Witch trials, witch hunting and the Scottish Reformation.Course start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ellen CarpenterNearly 4,000 individuals were accused of witchcraft in Scotland in the Early Modern period - approximately three times the total number of prosecutions that took place in England. Join us to explore the religious, cultural and political factors that informed attitudes to witches, witch-hunting and witch trials in Scotland.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Performance poetryCourse start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Megan BeechWrite poetry and perform it, finding your own style and delivery under the guidance of a spoken word artist. Explore the differences between performance and other forms of poetry.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Writing about food: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Laura SilvermanLove food and want to write about it? Whether you’re keen to review dishes, interview chefs or write about sustainable eating, now is your chance.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Writing the body in fictionCourse start date: Sat 11 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Eleanor PennyExplore how to write bodies that bring your fiction to life in this short course suitable for those with some experience of creative writing.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00
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